Driving geab fob velocipedes



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(Numdam G. W. QUATRBMAIN-B. n DRIVING GEAR POR VBLOGIPBDBS. No. 287,960. Patented Nov. 6, 1883.

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. G. W. QUATREMAINB.

DRIVING GEAR FOR VELQCIPEDBS. No. 287,960. Patented Nov. 6, 1883.

W ES: ITNSBS Niven STATES! LAND.

Prion.

l GORGB XV. QUATREMAINE, OF STRATFORD-ON-AVON, COUNTY OF WAR- XVIGK, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTUS LEA BRICKNELL, OF BUXTON, ENG- DRlViNG-GEAR FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,960, dated November 6, 1883. nppncanon mea June 15, issn. No meer.) resented in England october '1, rss2, No. 4,790.

To aZZ whom it may concern,.-

' ofWVarwick, England, artist, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving-Gears for Velocipedes, (forwhich l have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. A790, dated October 7, 1882,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved 4drivinggear for velo cip edes, which is specially shows a front elevation of my improved drivf designed with a view to combine in the same machine the advantages of driving both driving-wheels at once, in either a straight or a curvilinear course, with either or both feet, by means of treadles which` are disconnected with or independent of eachother, and which may both be depressed together whenever desired.

.Tricycles may he classied as single drivers, in which one side wheel only is driven,

y "alternate drivers,H in which first one side wheel and then the other is driven, central drivers7 in which one centrally-placed wheel is driven,` and double drivers77 which latter are subdivided into two distinct classesone in which both wheels are driven together only while the machine is run in a perfectly straight course, the other class in which, by means of f sponding parts.

a differential gear, commonlyknown as balance-gear," both wheels are driven, whether the course be straight or curved. In the .balanced double driver the greatest degree of 'safety andthe greatest 'grip on the road are at all times secured, and the loss of power and impaired steering incidental to single and al-` A ternate driving are avoided. Balanced double driving has, however, heretofore only been applied in tricycles in combination with imperfect ineans of transmitting the power of the rider totthe balanced double-driving mechanism.

The rst and main part of my invention on'sists, v therefore, in the combination, with a Jalance-gear, or mechanism for driving both wheels of a velocipede, whether in a straight :rcnrvilinear' path, of disconnected treadles BBL Thesecond part of my invention consists of 5e the combination of the independent or disconnected-clutch mechanism with crank-lever or equivalent mechanisms, which, when the drivl ing wheel or wheels are revolved toA their eX- tremelimit in a backward direction, shall en- .gage saidclutch mechanism and cause it to slide away and become disconnected from the r driving-wheels, so as to permit the backward f travel of the velocipede to any desired extent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 gitudinal section of thedifferential or balanced 'double-driving gear, and of the clutches actuating it. ential-gear box; Fig. 5, an end view of one of the clutches facing the gear-box. Fig. 6 is a Fig. 4 is an end view ofthe difterside elevation, showing the clutch in the act of `being automatically disengaged from the differential-gear box. Fig. 7 is-a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 shows details ofthe engaging devices shown in Figs.

6 and 7.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 'Referring to the drawings, and now more particularly to Fig. 2, A represents the gearbox, at the interior of which two bevel-wheels,

B B, are mounted on the inner ends of shafts short fixed shafts of the gear-box A in such a manner as to intermesh with the bevel-wheels The gear-box A is rigidly attached to tubes'E E', which inclose the shafts D D and extend into bearings T T of the forked supporting-frame of the tricycle. So far the arrangement` is well known as applied. to balanced double-driving velocipedes. The ends F F of the gear-box A are provided with sector-shaped recesses G G. (Shown clearly in Fig. 4.) H H are the clutch boxes, drums, or pulleys, which turn loosely on the tubes E E.

I l are notched disks, which slide with the entire clutch on the tubes E E. The notches belts or straps, chains, or other devices, P P',

by Lwhich power is transmitted to the pulleys H H.

According to my invention, I provide'proj ections or lugs K K on the notched disks I l', so that when the entire clutch slides inwardly on the tubes VE E the lugs on theA disks K K' enter the recesses Gr G on the gear-box A and become locked to it, as shown in Fig. 2. When the clutch is slid outwardly,as shown in Fig. 7, then the entire clutch mechanism is released from the gear-box A.

v To force the clutches H H toward the box Y A, and at the same time roll the clutches H H back when the treadles are raised, and to raise the treadles independently of each other, coiled springs M M are placed over the tubes E E', the inner end ofthe springs being secured to studs a a.' at the outer faces of the clutchpulleys H H', as shown in Fig. 2. The other ends of these springs M M are attached in any suitable manner to the frame-work of the ina-v chine, such as in Fig. l, or independent springs are used to effect any two or either of these operations. The outer circumferences of the clutch boxes, drums, or pulleys H H are provided with projecting Wedges N N', which play the second important part in my invention. rIhe upper ends of the bracket-arms O O', carried by the cross-tube ofthe main frame, or in other convenient manner, are provided with wedge-surfaces. (Clearly seen in detail in Fig.

8.) Ihe front parts ofthe arms O O, as shown vin Fig. 6, may be cushioned with leather or other material. The clutch boxes, drums, or pulleys H H are provided with a second set of projecting stops, N N, which strike against the front part of O O when the clutches are pulled forward and fully around by thetreadles. The stopsr N N prevent the treadles from descending ytoo low, and so act as limitstops, dispensing with the necessity of extensions on the frame to carry stops.

When it is desired to wheel the velocipede backward,it is run back,or the wheels are backwardly revolved, till the wedges N' N come against the wedge-surfaces O O, (see Fig. 6,) and begin to descend on the same, as shown in Fig. 8, thus sliding the clutches H H', with their projections K K', out of the recesses G G in the driving-gear box A, as shown in Fig. 7, and so allowing the velocipede to be wheeled backward.

Instead of wedges operated by the clutches coming against them, lshort cranked levers or other devices may be used to bestruck by the treadle-levers when rising to their utmost limit, and thusy automatically shifting the clutches, as hereinbefore described, when the velocipede is wheeled back; but these two plans are the mechanical equivalents of each other, as the clutches and treadles are connected parts. Other forms of clutches may be used with my disconnected treadles and doubledriving balance-gear.

I do not conne myself to the use of any special form of balance-gear, so understood, or of clutches for the purpose of deriving the advantages obtained by the combination of balanced double-driving withdisconnecte'd treadles. u

f 'Ihe vertical tubes that carry the bearings T 'I" are bolted or otherwise secured to the main cross-tube of the velocipede. Elbow-pieces, as shown in Fig. 2,v are brazed to this ,to carry tubes for the purchase and steering handles. Brackets R are secured to the cross-tube, and

the treadles Q are pivoted at their rear ends thereto. j

S is an upright tube, which carries at its upper end the seat-rod, which tube is curved and extended forward, so as tofcarry the steering-wheel. The tube S is brazed to a bracket, U, that carries also the cross-tube V.y The belts I P are connected to the treadles Q, then passed over the grooves L L' of the pulleys H H', to which they are attached by metallic pieces X, set into recesses W, that correspond in shape to the pieces X. The fastening-pieces X are secured into the recesses of the pulleys H H with suificient play to lock slightly therein, when they are slid in edgewise, in order to get the belt over the grooves L of the pulleys. When the metal piece X is slid in, vit cannot be withdrawn except sidewise, and this can` not be effected till the belt P is taken out of the groove of the pulley.

' Y shows a band-brake drum.

By depressing the treadles the clutches. arranged on each side of the case containing thel differential driving-gear grasp and rotate the said ease, but release, at their return or backward rotation, the case, and allow of its con' tinued revolution. 1 Each clutch may beturned back and its treadle raised by the reaction of a spring or other power applied in any suitable and well-known manner; or the clutch alone may be so drawn back, the raising of the treadles being provided for by making thev treadle itself wholly or partly of spring-steel, and attaching the pliable end to the framework, instead of hinging or pivoting it. Each IOO IIOr

treadle may also be lifted by an independent 1 spring. A band-brake may be applied in any well-known manner to the outer periphery of thebrake-drum Y, whereby both wheels play of the treadles, I may use stops placed on extensions of the framing.

I am well aware of a British patent granted wheels of a tricycle or other velocipede, when running either in a straight or curvilinear pathby treadles and actuating-clutches; nor

do I claim the mereuse of treadles operating clutch mechanism, as all these features are well known and have been used heretofore for many different purposes, and also ,applied to velocipedes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- `1; In a velocipede, the combination, with a double balance driving-gear, or mechanism for driving both wheels in a straight or curvilinear path, of treadles or pedal-levers discon! nected one from the other, and of independent or disconnected clutches operated by said treadles, as'and for the purposes described.

2. 'In a velocipede, the .combination of the disconnected actuating treadles, independent or disconnected clutches having projecting wedges on their clutch boxes or pulleys, and bracket-arms of the supporting-frame, having wedge-surfaces, whereby'the clutches are caused to slide'away and become disconnected from the driving mechanism when the wheels are revolved backward to 'their extreme limit, so as to permit the backward travel of the velccipede to any desired extent, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence 4of two subscribing witnesses..

GEORGE WELLS QUATREMAINE. Witnesses:

' W. H. HARRrs,

F. BAXTER. 

